Burning through soldering tips? And other soldering questions

[losikid]

Well i have an over priced el cheapo soldering iron from radio shack. And a well 40 watt spl (or something like that) and i have burnt the tip off of the weller twice now, and both times i took a grinder to the tip and made it good again. Same with the radio shack soldering iron, i burn through 3 or 4 times. And i'm just wanting to make sure this normal.

Next question i'm wanting to get a good soldering iron station because this rs one sucks balls and is horrible to be soldering surface mount components and other small stuff. So whats a good but reasonably priced soldering station, with good quality tips.

One last question, i have used a variety of solder from cheap to expensive. it seems they all had had a downfall, from horrible smelling smoke/fumes, to plumes of smoke/fumes, and common bad solder joints, i even had one that kinda popped and sent molten hot specks of solder towards me and other places. Anyone got good recommendations for solder.for small electronics

I'm not trained in any way about electronics just have kinda self taught myself for the past year and i'm starting to get down to ic's, mmu's, surface mount components and last thinking i want to do is be hunting down a bridged circuit, bad joint, or something else with a el cheapo multimeter. So any help is appreciated

[Szczerba]

I've used the Hakko 936-12 for years. Been good to me.

[EddieO]

Hakko 936......and just use regular 60/40 rosin core from Radioshack....a roll is like $15 and will probably last you for your entire RC career.

Later EddieO

[jeepcj776]

Have used this one for about 5 years with zero tip changes

[TEDROCKZ]

As stated the Hakko. If you can find Phillips ECG 60/40 solder it is great stuff. Maybe even better than the rat shack, which is good!

[killswitch]

Ive used the same 100w weller stained glass iron for years http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brand...c=037103474261. I also have a nice 80w weller as a back up http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brand...c=037103169167. Lowes used to have it for about $25, but I'm not sure they still do or not. Those irons will handle just about anything RC you can throw at them. I do use a rheostat as a temp control for the really small stuff. Dont go by temp ratings when selecting an iron... A cheap a$$ low watt job can get to 900*, but it doesnt have the wattage to keep it there and heat the pieces being soldered. As far as solder goes, I still use radio shack 60/40 in a few different diameters, depending on what I'm soldering. I do have a low wattage RS iron with a pencil tip that I use when I build guitar effects pedals, but I keep tips on hand for it because it's always killing tips.

[losikid]

Originally Posted by EddieO

Hakko 936......and just use regular 60/40 rosin core from Radioshack....a roll is like $15 and will probably last you for your entire RC career.

Later EddieO

Yea seems like a nice station

I have built 4 radios, with each one totaling at least 50 joints, but actual joints soldered was probably 250 plus because i redesigned or changed components alot in each one. and i've probably went through at least 2-3 oz's of solder in radios alone. Now i'm starting to play 8ch radios which is gonna require alot more soldering that what i have been doing. And beings here in a few years i'm gonna go to school for electrical engineering i figured it wouldn't hurt to buy a few pounds of good quality solder.

[Manning]

If you can find iron plated tips for your iron, they will last much longer. Otherwise you will be refacing a bare copper tip regularly. Just part of it.

McMaster Carr has iron plated tips for most irons. I'm sure other places have them.

Real lead solder is the stuff to use. 60/40 is common, but if you can find 63/37, it melts at a slightly lower temp. Radio Shack calls it "high performance" solder or something equally silly.

If you grind a tip to a narrow point, it will work better for circuitry and other small stuff. But keep a big tip available for doing things like motor wires.

[losikid]

Originally Posted by killswitch

Ive used the same 100w weller stained glass iron for years http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brand...c=037103474261. I also have a nice 80w weller as a back up http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brand...c=037103169167. Lowes used to have it for about $25, but I'm not sure they still do or not. Those irons will handle just about anything RC you can throw at them. I do use a rheostat as a temp control for the really small stuff. Dont go by temp ratings when selecting an iron... A cheap a$$ low watt job can get to 900*, but it doesnt have the wattage to keep it there and heat the pieces being soldered. As far as solder goes, I still use radio shack 60/40 in a few different diameters, depending on what I'm soldering. I do have a low wattage RS iron with a pencil tip that I use when I build guitar effects pedals, but I keep tips on hand for it because it's always killing tips.

I need low heat, 15-30 watt. Mostly for soldering on radios, i have a 40 watt weller that works great for deans and other big wire soldering

[killswitch]

Originally Posted by losikid

I need low heat, 15-30 watt. Mostly for soldering on radios, i have a 40 watt weller that works great for deans and other big wire soldering

gotcha! similar work to what I do with guitar effects. Mostly PCB stuff and small guage wire. My partner in crime for the guitar effects has been using a 25w weller iron with good results for over a year. I'll have to ask him what kind of tip life he gets. He does use a rheostat to bring the temp down some too.

[losikid]

Originally Posted by killswitch

gotcha! similar work to what I do with guitar effects. Mostly PCB stuff and small guage wire. My partner in crime for the guitar effects has been using a 25w weller iron with good results for over a year. I'll have to ask him what kind of tip life he gets. He does use a rheostat to bring the temp down some too.

Yea my rs solder iron is a dual heat 15/30, i use 15 for surface mount stuff, and the 30 for larger joints on switches and pots.

[scatterbrains]

I use one of checkpoints soldering stations ($80) works awesome, gets a workout at the shop and ive done 22ga-8 gauge no problem. I use the radio shack 60/40 solder thin for just about everything.

[wantAsummit]

Not much more to add here. I would go with the Weller WES51 as pictured above. It has adjustable temperature and there are a ton of different sized plated tips available which will not burn out on you. Also, make sure that you clean off your tip on the damp sponge as often as you can. It is the same flux which helps make soldering easier which can eat away at the cheaper tips. Even if it doesn't eat away at the tip, hardened flux will prevent heat flow as well.

[EddieO]

The Checkpoints I believe are just a rebadged Hakkos...

Later EddieO

[AreCee]

The Weller 40W iron is a graet bargain iron but as you found out the tips develop divots in them and grinding causes the tip to become inefficient. I must have gone through five or six tips and at $10/pair it was beginning to get costly. I still have the Weller but it is in my pit box and rarely used.

I use a Hakko 936 for about three years and have not had any issues with it. It is definately worth the money. Same thing for the CheckPoint (rebadged Hakko). Nice thing about the Hakko is that you get a small and large chisel tip and a skin.